Lupin continued to gape at the man, and not because of his scar and the mask that covered his face. How did he get a wand? Better yet, how does he know how to use it? What is going on here? Did something—
“Don't worry,” the man said as he held out a hand. “I am Kakashi who went to your world.”
The wizard blinked and grinned weakly, embarrassed for having jumped to conclusions so quickly. He shook the offered hand. “I apologize; it’s just that these are dangerous times.”
Surprisingly, Kakashi nodded solemnly. “I understand. However, if it makes you feel any better, I will converse with you for a minute in English. Do you need to release the translation spell, or can you speak both? I know we were able to, but I’m not sure if different rules apply to different functions.”
Lupin again found himself staring at the man in utter astonishment and he wasn’t the only one. The other occupants in the room were fascinated at the new language and strained their ears as if listening more intently would cause them to understand. He cleared his throat. “Ahh, no. It allows me to speak both. You really learned English in the year you were there?”
Kakashi chuckled, “Yeah, I couldn’t really attend any of the classes as a student, but I wanted to learn about as much of your world as possible and that started with learning the language. So, Voldemort is starting to make his move?”
“More like ready to take over the world—Wizard and Muggle alike. Ever since he came back to life—which, I’m told by Professor McGonagall you know all about—he has been gathering all sorts of followers while kidnapping and killing in secret. The members of the Order all believe he will have completely taken over the Ministry of Magic any day now—” (he paused to make sure Kakashi understood, then continued when the jounin nodded) “—and that means we are severely crippled. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all believe that Dumbledore left them a mission, so they’re skipping their seventh and final year at Hogwarts to pursue something. We were wondering if you and the other two could help protect them.”
The jounin frowned before asking, “Why don’t you ask Dumbledore? I’m sure he would at least give you a more satisfactory answer.”
Lupin's eyes widened as he realized that the poor man did not know the truth. The wizard let out a weary sigh and tried to figure out the best way to break the news.
Unfortunately, Kakashi knew that sigh all too well. “You mean . . . he’s dead?” he asked quietly.
The wound still fresh, all the wizard could do was nod slowly. Silence passed between them for a minute or two. Kakashi knew that Dumbledore was as important to the Wizarding world as Harry Potter—like their Hokage. Things must have gotten pretty serious indeed. He was itching for details, but knew there were more important matters at hand.
“Well, we can discuss the parameters of this mission elsewhere,” Kakashi said, reverting back to his native tongue. “It might be best to do it with Naruto, and we need to send a note to Gaara in Suna, explaining what we know so far and what’s going on, giving him the option to come if he needs to. However, I feel like an opportunity to go back would be too much to resist,” he admitted with a smile.
“I will leave Remus with you three and go find Naruto.” With that, the shinobi gave them all a lazy salute and disappeared.
There was a brief silence once he left and Lupin turned to the other occupants in the room.
“Does he always do that?” he asked.
The Hokage smirked. “More than you know."
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A few minutes later found Lupin walking around Konoha with Tenzo, who had abandoned his ANBU uniform and once again took the identity of Yamato. They were currently discussing the similarities and differences between their worlds, and Tenzo discovered the wizard was just as curious about his world as he was of his.
“This is an impressive village,” Lupin admitted as he walked through the streets with Yamato, trying to take in all that he saw without lagging behind.
“Not too different than others,” Yamato said. “What’s it like where you live?”
“There are—”
“Yamato-taichou!” The two men turned around to address the voice calling out to them and Lupin was momentarily startled to see a girl with pink hair jogging up to them.
“Good morning, Sakura,” Yamato said pleasantly.
“Good morning!” she smiled. She glanced at Lupin in curiosity, looking as if she were debating how to address the newcomer.
“Oh, this is Lupin,” Yamato said quickly. “He came to request a mission.”
“Really? Is it an escort mission?” Sakura asked. Usually missions that came from outside of Konoha were requested via messenger hawk.
“Well . . . I guess you could sort of call it that,” Lupin admitted. “It’s really complicated.”
Not wanting to pry, Sakura left it at that. “Yamato-taichou, do you know where Naruto is? I went by his apartment to try and cheer him up but he wasn’t there.” It was then that Lupin noticed the small bundle of flowers that the girl had in her left hand.
“I don't know. Kakashi-senpai left a couple minutes ago to talk to him so they may have left to go somewhere.”
A relieved smile danced across the girl’s fair features. “Oh good, I was worried for him.” As Lupin frowned in confusion the girl called out again.
“Kiba! Shino! Hinata! How are you?” Yamato and Lupin turned around to see who the girl was waving at. The wizard’s eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the strange people coming towards him.
To start off they seemed a little worse for wear, with their clothes stained with what looked to be dried blood and they appeared to be quite worn out. One of the boys (it was a boy—right?) was covered in so much clothing Remus could barely see more than his sunglasses. The girl with long purple hair looked blind but by the way she was walking and focused on those beside her and the three in front Lupin could tell it wasn’t the case. The other boy had some triangle tattoos on his cheeks, bearing an odd resemblance to the American Indians Lupin remembered learning about in school, and he was walking next to one of the largest dogs he had ever seen in his life.
“Just got off a mission near Wave Country,” the brown-haired boy explained once they got closer. Lupin was slightly startled to see the two fang-like teeth as he spoke and wondered if the boy was similarly affected like him.
“And Anko-sensei volunteered to accompany us, because Kurenai-sensei was unable to,” the girl said quietly.
“That must have been fun,” Sakura smirked, before turning to Remus. “Oh . . . this is Lupin who came to request a mission.”
“Really?” the fanged boy said in surprise. “My name’s Kiba, this is Akamaru, Hinata, and the silent idiot is Shino,” he explained, pointing to each in turn.
“Idiot?” Shino asked darkly. Lupin frowned and glanced around when he heard a lot of buzzing insects, confused as to why he couldn’t see them.
“So what kind of mission is it, huh?” Kiba asked energetically, ignoring the glare his teammate was undoubtedly directing at him. “We may have just gotten back from one but we can be ready in no time!”
“Actually, I was instructed to specifically ask for Kakashi, Naruto, and Gaara,” Lupin explained, taken back by the boy’s enthusiasm.
Everyone but Yamato raised their eyebrows in confusion. “But—Gaara’s not even in this village,” Kiba remarked as he scratched his head.
Sakura, however, stared at him in shock. “So . . . does that mean that you’re a—” Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by Kakashi's arrival.
“Naruto is waiting for us in one of the Hokage meeting rooms," he began without any introduction. "It was a little work getting him to come but I'm sure he'll be willing to listen to what you have to say. Have a successful mission?” he added, turning to Team 8.
“Not really one for manners, is he?” As Kiba chuckled, Lupin glanced at the dog in shock.
“H-h-how . . . why—why is that dog talking?!” No sooner did he ask the question did he realize it might not have been the best thing to do. Everyone was staring at him as if he had grown another head and Kakashi was looking at him suspiciously.
“You mean—you can understand Akamaru?” Kiba asked, in slight awe.
“Of course I can! Can’t—can’t you?”
“Well, I can,” Kiba explained, pointing to himself, “but that’s because I’m from the Inuzuka clan.” His explanation didn’t do much for the wizard but just raised new questions. “Are you from a dog clan as well?”
“Um . . . I—guess you could call it that,” Remus said quickly, not wanting to really go into the specifics. If it would explain why he was able to understand a dog talk when others couldn’t, he figured that was the best explanation.
“What do you train?” Kiba asked.
“Uh . . . I—I train . . . wolves?” Lupin offered, struggling for answers. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it was good enough.
“Well, that explains the wolf scent on you,” Kiba mused, nodding in confirmation.
Wait, wolf scent? Does that mean he can smell that part of me? How can he smell me anyway?
“We should probably get going, Kiba and Shino,” Hinata piped up. “Hokage-sama is going to want our reports so we should get working on them.”
“Yeah, guess you’re right,” Kiba sighed. “See you around!” Shino just left with a small nod in their direction.
“Good-bye.” Now that Lupin was prepared for it, he could hear the bark form Akamaru, but at the same time he could hear the words in the back of his mind. Despite the fact that it slightly unnerved him, he was fascinated in the very least.
“I guess it's time to go speak to Naruto,” Kakashi suggested once they were out of hearing range.
"Can I come, too?" Sakura asked. "J-just to give him these flowers?" she added sheepishly.
“That would be a good idea,” Kakashi smiled. As they started walking towards the Hokage mansion Kakashi turned to Lupin.
“I’m going to have to ask you why you could understand Akamaru,” Kakashi addressed Lupin strictly, reverting to English. Lupin could see Yamato and Sakura leaning in out of his peripheral vision, knowing that their interest was peaked because of the foreign language.
“Normal contact with any animal, no matter how long you’ve been with them wouldn’t leave the smell that I find on you,” Kakashi continued. “Kiba is still young and he wasn’t able to tell the difference but the smell I sense from you is almost as if you are a wolf in human form.”
Lupin’s eyes widened in shock and his hands trembled slightly. How—
“I need to know, Remus,” Kakashi pressed, his visible eye narrowing in suspicion. “I reserved my thoughts because I remembered hearing about the type of man you were from Sirius, but the fact that you were able to understand an Inuzuka hound when even I can’t denies me the right to do so anymore. Naruto and Gaara's safety is my responsibility.”
“You—you knew Sirius?”
“Yes, he told me that you and James were his best friends growing up.” Remus clenched his hands into fists to fight the bitter jab of pain in his heart. Despite the fact that it was a little over a year ago, the death of his last closest friend still ached.
Kakashi stopped walking and stared at Lupin in disbelief. “Don’t . . . don’t tell me he’s dead as well?” Remus glanced back towards him with a slightly apologetic look and Kakashi grit his teeth in frustration. The jounin always knew that he had some sort of bad luck, with all the people he’s ever considered to be his precious people perish—his parents, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, Sarutobi-sama, Asuma—to name a few. Were the gods so against him that they carried his curse into another dimension?
Lupin jumped backwards in surprise as Kakashi punched a nearby lamppost. The black metal bent forward, leaving a large, round bend in the shape. Kakashi's eye was covered in shadow and the wizard wondered whether or not it was a good thing to tell him.
"Who killed him?" Kakashi hissed.
"Bellatrix Lestrange—one of the Death Eaters. She was in Azkaban when you were at Hogwarts, so I doubt you have ever heard of her." Kakashi was silent for another few seconds, and Lupin glanced at Sakura and Yamato nervously. The young girl appeared concerned, while it was obvious that the other man could understand what was going on.
“Um . . . well the answer I think you're looking for is that I’m a werewolf,” Lupin said slowly, feeling bad for doing nothing but be a bearer of bad news. The jounin let his hand fall to his side and walked up to Lupin as if nothing had happened.
“I think I remember reading about that," Kakashi said thoughtfully as they continued to follow the others. "You turn into a wolf form at every full moon, right?”
“How did you know that?”
Kakashi shrugged. “I read a lot of books while I was at Hogwarts. I'm sorry that you have to go through that, though. From what I read it wouldn't be a pleasant experience."
“No use in worrying over it now."
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A few minutes later, Lupin met up with Tsunade, Shizune, and Naruto in one of the meeting rooms. The blonde was not at all like Remus had envisioned him to be. (For some reason a mini Fred or George stood out in his mind) Naruto was dressed in vibrant orange and black which contrasted greatly with his depressed aura. The flowers that the pink-haired girl brought cheered him up slightly, though Lupin had to wonder if it was really about the flowers.
As he explained the reasons why he was in Konoha for the second time that day, Lupin was worried when the boy showed hardly any indication that he was listening or taking in what he said. It was only when Lupin nervously addressed that the Order didn't know what Harry and his friends were doing because Dumbledore had passed away did he get any emotion out of the boy.
"He's dead?!" Naruto exclaimed. He stared at Lupin as though ordering him to say it was a joke.
"Snape killed him."
The blonde opened and closed his mouth a few times as if wondering what to say, but then settled on silence. He slumped into his chair and sighed. "Anyone else we know die?" he asked sarcastically.
"Er . . . Sirius and Mad-Eye Moody," Lupin answered slowly. He felt Kakashi's eyes on him and the wizard's prediction as to whether or not the jounin knew the Auror was confirmed. Naruto's mouth fell open in horrified astonishment and Lupin could tell that the boy hadn't really expected there to be any other deaths.
Remus jumped backwards in fright as Naruto swore loudly before jumping to his feet and slamming his fist onto the wooden table, splitting it in two. None of the other shinobi looked alarmed at this—in fact, they looked back at Naruto sadly. Lupin began to wonder if it were customary for the people of this dimension to start hitting objects out of frustration. He had better warn Molly about that when they returned.
"He lost one of his most important people yesterday," Kakashi whispered, noticing the look on Lupin's face. "He's normally very cheerful and it's hard to get him to shut up."
"Why is everyone dying?" Naruto wailed to no one in particular. Sakura stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. A visible change overtook the boy and Lupin could tell that it definitely wasn't the flowers.
"Reparo!" There was a sharp intake of breath as the demolished table suddenly repaired itself and three pairs of eyes stared at Lupin incredulously.
"Talk about a handy spell," Tsunade muttered. "So . . . do you want to come, Naruto?" Naruto glanced at his hands, clenched them angrily, and let a grim smile grace his lips.
"I will do everything I can to make sure that no one else dies!" he declared passionately. Although he disagreed, Lupin couldn't help but find himself believing that yes, they could defeat Voldemort without any more loss of life. The shinobi's confidence was quite overwhelming.
"That's the spirit, Naruto," Tsunade said happily. "How about you go gather your things for this mission? Pack light, but enough to last for an undetermined amount of time." Naruto grinned before saluting the Hokage. As he made his way towards the door Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll come help you." Naruto's grin grew even wider and there was a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan," he said humbly.
“What about Gaara?” Lupin asked once the two teenagers left.
“He lives in Suna—about a three day’s journey from here," Tsunade responded.
"The problem would be getting him to want to come, though,” Kakashi said thoughtfully.
“Why is that?” Remus had hoped he wouldn’t run into this problem. If the boy was already on a mission though, he supposed he could wait.
“Well, he’s the Kazekage,” the jounin said simply. Before Remus could ask what a Kazekage was, Kakashi continued, “It means he’s the leader of his whole village.”
Remus’ eyes widened. “His whole village?” Everyone nodded. “One as large as this one?” Another nod.
“So . . . I guess if we can’t have him,” Remus muttered, “is there anyone else you would suggest from your village?”
Tsunade looked thoughtful, but Kakashi just laughed. “A much as Tsunade-sama would prefer that—" (How Kakashi could survive the deadly glare that the female Hokage was directing at him Lupin would never know) "—I don’t think we should count him out just yet. Maybe . . .”
The shinobi frowned (or at least Lupin thought he did) for a moment and was deep in thought. “You can Apparate, right?” he said suddenly, turning to the wizard.
“Huh? Oh—uh, yeah.”
“Do you have to have been somewhere previously to Apparate there? Can you go somewhere you’ve never been before?”
“As long as I have a clear knowledge of where I’m going I should be fine, I guess,” Lupin mused. “Why?”
Kakashi’s eye crinkled upwards happily. “Because we’re going to Suna.”
It took a few minutes to properly explain what Apparition was to Tsunade, but after seeing a demonstration she gave her permission to let them try it. The Hokage's assistant, Shizune, looked like she had a few more words to say on the matter, but once she saw her master's resolve decided to back down.
“Now remember," Kakashi began, pointing to a map, "Suna is in the desert of the Wind Country. Our target is outside the Kazekage mansion, located in the middle of the village. We don’t want to end up inside it, partially because the wards surrounding the building may interfere and cause you to splinch us, but mainly because they won’t take too kindly to us coming so abruptly.”
Remus nodded but was unable to quell the rising fear in his chest. Apparition was a tricky business to begin with, and he had never done Side-Apparition before. Splinching himself or the man who would help Harry win the war wasn't at the top of his list at the moment.
"I know you'll do a great job, Remus," Kakashi said, noticing the man's discomfort. "I will focus hard on our destination as well since I have been there before." Lupin couldn't help but smile. If Kakashi was willing to take the risk (and it seemed he was properly informed of the dangers involved) then the wizard was willing as well.
"Take my arm," he said, holding out the preferred limb.
Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at him. "I don't know how you do it in the wizarding world, but I always wait until after the first date."
Tsunade groaned and rubbed her temple. Trust Kakashi to try and break up the tension with a perverted joke. It appeared it was doing more harm than good though; the wizard looked absolutely flustered.
"O-oh . . . I didn't—didn't realize . . . I'm not . . . I'm happily married—"
The jounin laughed and patted Remus on the back. "I'm just joking."
"R-right." A small smile crept onto Lupin's face as he was reminded of Sirius. He would joke in that manner from time to time just to see Peter's blush, Remus' scowl, and hear James' laugh. It was also hilarious to see how some of the girls who obsessed over the dark-haired wizard reacted.
Tsunade, Shizune, and Yamato watched in fascination as Kakashi grasped Remus' arm. The wizard clenched his eyes in tense concentration, and after a moment's pause, he and Kakashi vanished with a loud CRACK! The three remaining shinobi jumped slightly at this, having not expected such an abrupt and loud noise.
"Seems like they left all in one piece," Yamato noted with fascination.
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The booming voice of Temari lashed out as she entered through the door to the Kazekage office.
“Gaara! Did you stay up all night again?” The redhead cringed. He was hoping she wouldn't find out.
“You know you’re in trouble,” Kankuro smirked, looking up from the paperwork he was “working” on. His younger brother had asked for his help twenty minutes ago and while he was doing his best to concentrate, he couldn’t help thinking about that beautiful, brown-haired girl he had been seeing for a while now . . .
The Kazekage had been spending that past two months immersing himself in work so much that his siblings were worried. He was taking on the normal duties of being Kazekage as well as being in charge of scouting on any Akatsuki movement. Despite the fact that they had their way with him, there was still a chance that they would harm the safety of his village, or (even worse) go after Naruto, which was more likely. No matter how Naruto brushed away what he and his fellow friends did, Gaara was eternally grateful and wanted to do his best to assist in any way possible.
“I had some urgent information to attend to concerning the Akatsuki,” he protested. Even he could hear the weariness in his voice.
“Bull to that! I know you’re staying up too much!”
“I don’t need that much sleep,” Gaara mumbled.
“Really? Then why do you look like you’re about to fall asleep any minute now, hmm?” she growled, gesturing to his drooping form.
Gaara immediately straightened his posture and resisted the urge to pop a shinobi pill in his mouth. I’ll do it as soon as she leaves, he reasoned.
“I don’t care how I look, Temari,” he sighed as he rubbed the side of his head. “Must I keep reminding you how I’ve gone the past fifteen years of my life without sleep?”
“And must I remind you about the incident three days after you returned to Suna? Where you fell asleep during the council meeting?”
Gaara winced at that. It had been a very unpleasant experience. Even though the village was overjoyed at his return, the absence of Shukaku left room for doubt of his abilities. Truth be told, he didn’t have nearly as much mastery over sand like he once did but as he practiced and gathered up his strength this past while, he was getting closer and closer to the level he was at before.
Which is exactly why he avoided Temari and went to the meeting anyway, even though he felt like collapsing then and there and sleeping for eternity. The last thing he remembered was something about border control and then he was staring at his ceiling a day later. Fortunately, his behavior was excused because he had just been brought back to life and he no longer had to fear sleeping, and it seemed like fifteen years of insomnia was trying to catch up with him.
The fact was he was afraid to sleep; the threat of nightmares and being so vulnerable foreign to him, but he figured out a solution. Gaara would drive himself to the point of exhaustion and sleep as long as his body permitted him, then do the same thing over and over again. Sleeping in that fashion dispelled any chances for dreams. His sister did not approve of this way of living, however, and did everything in her power to get him into a regular sleep routine.
“That was different.” He tried to show that the matter was over by reaching out for a new file and dipping his brush into more ink, but Temari wasn't finished yet.
His older sister snorted. “Oh please, like I’m going to listen to that! You may be the Kazekage, but in these last two months you’ve been free of Shukaku you have been acting like a complete child! Sleep isn’t going to kill you, and you can’t go living off of shinobi pills forever.”
Her eyes softened and she lowered her voice. “I know you’re afraid, but our offer still stands to be there with you the whole night, making sure nothing happens to you until you get the hang of it.” Gaara stared at the mission report in order to avoid the looks of his brother and sister.
Somehow, with Shukaku gone, he was having more trouble controlling his emotions and that was another factor that scared him. In the back of his mind he knew that part of that was attributed to the fact that he wasn’t getting any sleep—but he kept pushing that thought out of the way. Not being in control of his emotions made him feel even weaker and there were times he didn’t know what to do, so he just dived right back into work. He knew he was being foolish, but these new experiences of being more—"human" and knowing that he had the acceptance of his village and the complete support of his siblings was just so strange.
“Kazekage-sama,” an ANBU reported in, saving him from answering his sister. "Hatake Kakashi has requested an appointment with you."
"When can I expect him?"
"He's here now, Kazekage-sama. According to those on guard, he suddenly appeared along with a man who wears a long, black robe."
Gaara frowned. Kakashi didn't seem like the type of person to just come unannounced and demand a conference. He was lazy but he wasn't rude. "Did he give any reason for wanting to speak with me?"
The ANBU nodded. "He said that he had a proposition to offer you that had to do with a—Hogwarts," the man said distastefully.
It was only due to his many years of wearing a stoic and emotionless expression that Gaara did not drop his brush and gape at the ANBU stupidly. "Send him in," he said once he made sure his voice would be steady. The ANBU bowed at his request and exited the room. Gaara became so absorbed in memories and questions that he didn't realize his siblings were talking to him until Kankuro shook his shoulder.
"What?"
Kankuro frowned. "We said—what is this Hogwarts?"
“Remember what happened in Konoha when Naruto and I were in the hospital two and a half years ago?”
“The thing with the wizards?” Kankuro asked. If he didn’t see his brother perform this "magic" before his eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. Even then he still had his doubts.
The redhead nodded. "It seems—" He was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in."
"Hatake Kakashi and Lupin Remus," the ANBU from before introduced. Gaara scrutinized the wizard before him, because it was only a wizard who would wear robes like that. He looked relatively young, but with the graying hair he couldn't be sure. From what he had observed in the Wizarding world, people's hair color wasn't as vibrant as it was in his, so unlike with the Hatake clan, gray hair certainly meant old age. There were also a lot of scars on his face leading Gaara to believe he had seen his share of battles.
"Good day, Kazekage-sama, Kankuro, and Temari," Kakashi said to each in turn, bowing slightly. The newcomer noticed this and quickly copied Kakashi, bowing at the waist rather hurriedly.
Remus was rather stunned at the appearance of the Kazekage. When Kakashi told him that the boy they were looking for was the leader of an entire village, he felt inclined to believe the ninja was just messing with him. How could a fifteen and a half year old boy be entrusted with that much responsibility? However, as he stood before the rather odd-looking child, Remus remembered Harry Potter. Hadn't everyone put their faith in him to vanquish Lord Voldemort since his return when the boy was just fourteen? Weren't they all believing a mere seventeen-year-old could put an end to all the madness and suffering that had plagued their world for over two decades?
"What has happened that forces you to cross into our dimension, Remus?" The wizard could tell the boy certainly carried himself like a leader.
As Lupin explained everything he had already said in Konoha, he took notice of the two people standing alongside Gaara. He could see one was a boy and one a girl, though he had no idea which names were associated with which gender. Both teenagers stood next to Gaara quite protectively, as if daring Remus to try and attack their leader. The boy reminded Lupin of a Muggle clown, and the girl had a thick, black, metal rod of some sort that he supposed could only be her weapon by the way she was grasping it. If anything, they did their job well.
Gaara was silent once Remus finished his brief explanation. "So . . . that means Dumbledore-sama is dead then, correct?" Lupin nodded sadly. "Would it be improper to ask how it happened?"
"It was Severus Snape. He and some Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts this past May and he killed him." Gaara's eyes widened.
"The Potion's professor?" Remus noted the same incredulous look on the boy's face that everyone shared when they learned of what happened. Snape had sure played his part well, though Remus couldn't help but reserve some of his anger towards Dumbledore for putting so much blind faith in the man. His compassionate weakness was his downfall.
"So you wish for our services to watch over Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they embark on whatever quest Dumbledore-sama sent them on to destroy Voldemort?"
"That is our intention. I brought payment with me and a fair share will be given to you for your village," Remus said. The boy and girl scowled and glanced at Gaara, clearly against him going.
"As much as I would like to go," the redhead began slowly, "I can't. My responsibility is here and not parading about on a dangerous mission where I could get killed. I already failed this village once in that regard," he muttered darkly. Before Lupin could wonder what he could possibly mean by that last statement, Kakashi stepped forward.
"I understand your difficult situation, but would you be willing to come to Konoha and simply be involved with the discussion of what to do next? Your insight would prove invaluable, and it would be an excuse to see Naruto for a bit and take a break from paperwork." Kakashi's joyful and carefree tone suggested an ulterior motive, though Lupin couldn't be too sure.
Gaara quirked an eyebrow—or he would have, if he had any. "I can hardly explain a six day absence to the elders."
Kakashi stepped forward and placed a hand on the desk with the other resting on the small of his back. "Well, then I guess it's perfect that we have a wizard who can Apparate us there and back." Gaara's eyes widened skeptically and the two guards standing beside him frowned in confusion.
"The both of us?" Gaara asked, directing his attention to Lupin. Before the wizard could respond the blonde girl spoke out.
"'Both of us?'" she mocked. "I may not know what 'apparate' means, but you're not going anywhere to decide anything without us, Gaara!"
"Yeah, Temari's right," the boy (whom Remus now knew to be Kankuro) said. "We'll be your guard."
"You're right—I apologize," Gaara responded. "Though I don't know how Remus will be able to bring the four of us along."
"He's got a point," Kakashi muttered. "I could try my hand at it, but at the very least you could make more than one trip."
"Or I could make a Portkey," Lupin suggested. Again, Temari and Kankuro were perplexed but Gaara and Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.
"What's a Portkey?" Kankuro asked.
"An ordinary object magicked to transport you to a specific location when you touch it," the wizard hastily explained.
"Use this." Gaara tossed Lupin a plain rolled scroll.
"Perfect."
"Look, before we do anything, I think we should let Baki know about this and see what he thinks," Temari interrupted. At Gaara's nod, she continued, "I passed by him on the first floor, checking up on the mission office. I'll go get him."
There was a lingering awkwardness in the air once Temari shut the door. Kakashi seemed quite comfortable standing in the room as well as Gaara, but Lupin could feel Kankuro's eyes scrutinizing him, as if he still couldn't figure out his feelings on the wizard. Lupin could sense the hesitation that most students exhibited before they exploded in questions about topics they weren't too sure about.
"So let me get this straight," Kankuro began and Lupin fought to suppress a smirk. "You are from another dimension where people use little sticks to cause unimaginable things to happen and there is this snake guy who is hell-bent on controlling the world and your only hope for survival is the trust in three seventeen year olds? I find that a little hard to believe."
Lupin felt the boy was being a bit unfair, but then reminded himself that he had to see it from a Muggle point of view. Of course it would seem farfetched and the only way to give credit to the story would be solid proof. "What would you like me to do?" he asked as he withdrew his wand. Before Kankuro could come up with an idea, Kakashi leaned in and whispered something to Lupin, who chuckled.
"Excellent suggestion." He made a sharp jab in Kankuro's direction and bellowed, "Silencio!"
Having no knowledge of the English language, Kankuro merely raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Well?" It was only when he tried to vocalize his question that he realized what had been done.
"Now why haven't I thought of that for the past two years?" Gaara wondered aloud. Lupin and Kakashi laughed as Kankuro angrily gesticulated to his brother before Lupin lifted the spell.
"What's going on here?" a voice called as the door swung open. Everyone's attention was diverted to a door where Temari followed a man with a cloth that covered most of his face. Lupin idly wondered if covering half of your face was a sort of trend for the people in this dimension.
"This man is from the dimension I traveled to with Naruto and Kakashi," Gaara began, "and he has come back to request our help."
"So you're the ones who paid us in gold?" Baki asked. He remembered how pleased the elders had been at the payment Gaara came home with.
"Yes, and I brought more," Lupin said, guessing that was what the man needed to hear. "Situations are nearing their worst right now and the Order believes that the protection they provided two years ago will prove invaluable in the fight against Voldemort."
"And you want the Kazekage, the leader of our village, to go?" Baki scoffed.
"It seems like that will prove impossible," Lupin said calmly, "but Kakashi and I believe that it would be best to discuss the matter together in Konoha and determine the best course of action. And I can make it that we can go there and back within a day," he added quickly, noting the argument written on Baki's face.
Baki raised his eyebrows at the last remark and turned to Gaara for an explanation. The redhead nodded curtly and Baki sighed. "Why not? As long as the replacement is from Suna."
"Great," Lupin sighed. While he understood the reason for the delay, it was all rather taxing and he had already been tired before leaving the Burrow. He had been working with a young werewolf he had met that showed to be quite promising to work for their cause instead of the Death Eaters when Tonks contacted him.
"Let's bring your stuff before going, Kazekage-sama," Kakashi said. When everyone gave him suspicious looks he shrugged his shoulders innocently. "Whomever we find as Gaara's replacement might find them useful." Gaara threw a wry smile in Kakashi's direction before agreeing.
"It would seem the sensible thing to do, and that way we have an excuse for not being in my office."
Gathering all of Gaara's belongings took no time at all and soon the attention was directed at Lupin. "Once I cast the charm, all you need to do is touch it and we will arrive in Konoha. I will set up a few seconds delay to give you time. Portus!"
The scroll glowed a bright, blue color and once they all placed a finger on it they felt a tug on their navel and were swept away.
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"Nice to see you join us," Tsunade chuckled. The six of them were sprawled out on the floor and the three who hadn't traveled by Portkey before were rubbing their head gingerly.
"Are we really in Konoha?" Temari asked in amazement.
"Guess so," Kankuro muttered as he pushed himself off the ground.
"Did you use a Portkey?" Naruto asked, still standing by the door that Yamato had recently opened. "Hi, Gaara!" The redhead gave Naruto a small smile before turning to Tsunade.
"Thank you for allowing us the privilege of discussing the Wizarding matter in your village, Hokage-sama," he said respectfully.
"Don't mention it." Tsunade smiled. "Good thing we had extra chairs. Please sit down and we'll do our best to move through this as quickly as possible."
It took nearly an hour for Lupin to explain what Voldemort had been doing since his return, what the Order was doing to combat his advances, and the dangers that Harry and his friends faced with trying to undertake whatever mission they were fighting for. The questions that his audience had asked were quite militaristic in nature and their contemplative nods at his answers eased his fears. If the precautions and steps they were taking received the approval of these people, then there was hope for them yet.
"I agree that having protection provided for these children is a good idea," Tsunade said, "but it seems like three is a little excessive if their main objective is to stay hidden."
"We have no idea what they will be needed for though," Gaara countered. "Especially if Harry and the others can't give any specific details."
Lupin opened his mouth but Kakashi beat him to it. "I think that three is a perfect number."
"Why is that?"
Kakashi leaned forward, placed three fingers on the table, and made sure to make contact with everyone before continuing. "The way I see it, this battle is being fought on three fronts—one with Harry, Ron, and Hermione doing whatever Dumbledore-sama told them to do," (he lifted a finger for each of his points) "two with what the Order is doing to thwart Voldemort's advances and protect those they can, and three—what will inevitably happen at Hogwarts."
He turned to Lupin. "With Dumbledore-sama dead, it's quite possible that Hogwarts is going to be breached in some way. I'm going to bet you anything that Snape will have something to do with it because of his many years of experience there. It also could become a training ground for Voldemort to influence the younger minds of the Wizarding society. Any powerful tyrant knows that if you want to control the future you have to look towards the children." Kakashi paused for a moment to allow his argument to sink in.
"And this is why I think that the three people who go should be distributed as such, to provide support to each side of the war—someone to protect Harry and his friends, someone to help the Order, and someone to protect the students and Hogwarts and make sure things don't go too out of hand. Logically, I believe that Naruto would be the best choice to help Harry. Since our last encounter, Voldemort knows of the power that resides in him and tried to make use of it. If he learns that Naruto has returned then he might try again. The safest place for Naruto would be on the run with Harry and the others."
"Now, for the Order, I think that my services would best be of use there. I have had a lot of experience in assassination and other necessary war strategies. Plus, Voldemort doesn't have too much of a personal vendetta against me—and the fact remains that he probably thinks I'm dead." Lupin was amazed to see how the jounin could make that statement so lightly.
"And as for Hogwarts," Kakashi continued slowly, "I think Gaara might be able to pull it off. The students there already respect him and they're familiar with him, which makes it easier for them to trust—"
"But there's still a risk!" Temari growled, unable to stop herself.
"I understand that, but it is certainly the safest place for him to be." Kakashi pointed to Gaara. "Shukaku no longer resides in Gaara, so there is no reason for Voldemort to want to capture him for power."
"Doesn't seem like this guy needs a reason to kill someone," Kankuro muttered darkly.
"It's also taking place at a school, and with the amount of work that Voldemort has on his plate, I'd say that enacting revenge on someone patrolling a school is pushed out of the way of needing to defeat Harry and advancing his forces throughout England."
Baki slapped the table in irritation. "But it's still too dangerous to send someone as important as the Kazekage to a place where he might be safe!"
Kakashi shrugged. "Send Temari or Kankuro with him as his guard. I'm sure two highly trained shinobi would be more than enough of a match for whatever low-lying underlings Voldemort would entrust to Hogwarts."
It was silent for a while as everyone mulled over the argument. Naruto and Tsunade were nodding thoughtfully and Lupin was impressed by the jounin's take on things. He found himself liking Kakashi's idea better, and he hoped that McGonagall would agree. The shinobi from Suna though, looked like they needed a little more convincing. Gaara's expression was carefully controlled to the point where it was unclear how he was feeling, but judging by the furtive glances he threw at Baki and the others he was hoping they would agree.
Tsunade broke the silence. "Yamato, send in Sakura."
Everyone's attention was diverted to the door as the jounin carried out the order. He returned a few minutes later and led the pink-haired kunoichi inside before resuming his place near the door. Sakura stood at attention after sending a half-bow in Tsunade and Gaara's direction.
"This is Haruno Sakura," the Hokage began, directing her attention to Lupin and Baki, "who healed Kankuro after contracting an unknown poison when fighting against the Akatsuki. Since then she has continued to grow and improve in her medical practices to the point that I will soon have nothing else to teach her." She paused for a moment to allow the remark to sink in before continuing. "Would you accept her services as the Kazekage-sama's personal medical kunoichi?"
Baki's eyes widened at the offer and stared at Sakura for a long time. He turned to Lupin. "You are positive that this entire ordeal will last no more than ten minutes in our world?" Lupin nodded vigorously.
"And I will learn about how to make a Portkey so that you can return immediately to Suna upon our return," Kakashi added. "This way you will have been away from Suna for less than two hours, and you'll be very well paid for it."
"You can't think of agreeing to this!" Temari asked, astounded.
"It seems like a very safe bet, Temari," Gaara defended. "I'll have Kankuro and Sakura with me—"
"But what if something happens? If anyone should go it's me, because Kankuro is next in line if something happens to you—"
"You know that the elders won't want me," Kankuro chuckled. "They think I'm too rash and emotional to be the Kazekage. Plus, you are the oldest so it's even more your right."
"And it will be easier for Kankuro to guard me at the school anyway, since he can stay in the dormitory with me." Temari bit her lip, glanced at her companions, and caved in with a huff.
"Do anything stupid and you'll live to regret it," she mumbled. For good measure she punched Kankuro's arm forcefully.
"Excellent!" Tsunade exclaimed. "Remus Lupin, do you accept the services of Gaara, Kankuro, Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura to aid your people in the war?"
"Definitely," he said with a sigh. Finally they were making some progress!
"Though with the addition of two more people to your request, I'm sorry to say that it's going to cost you a little extra," the Hokage continued with a dangerous gleam in her eye. Lupin gulped and nodded vigorously.
"O-f course! I'll send the rest with everyone later." He should have known that the previous look in her eyes when she examined the gold would mean trouble!
"Perfect!" There was a definite smugness in the Hokage's voice. "Sakura—go prepare yourself for a long mission. Naruto will accompany you and give suggestions as to what you will need."
"Understood, shishou." As she left to carry out the order Naruto followed right behind her while exclaiming his wonderful happiness at going on a long mission with her.
"Kazekage-sama—I see that Kakashi already planned for you to accompany us," (she sent an amused glare in Kakashi's direction and the jounin looked back at her innocently) "though if there is anything else you require do not hesitate to tell us. Kankuro, I see that you have your puppets with you but if there is anything else you require Kakashi will find you what you need."
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It wasn't until ten minutes had passed that everyone was ready, if you'd call it that. Each shinobi had a small bag they were able to sling over their shoulder and Lupin wondered if they would have enough. He had no idea how long the war would last or how long they would require their assistance, but he still felt as if they should have more supplies than that. But it wasn't his decision—they were supposed to be the experts, anyway.
As Lupin began the long incantation, he spared a moment to examine those accompanying him. Kakashi and Gaara looked rather calm, while Kankuro was a bit skeptical. Naruto and Sakura were chatting in hushed tones, and from what he could hear the girl was asking all sorts of questions that the boy was doing his best to answer. Those watching them looked rather anxious as well. Temari was gazing at her brothers in such a way that Lupin was reminded of Mrs. Weasley, Tsunade looked excited (though Lupin guessed it had to do with the extra payment she would receive), Baki and Shizune looked anxious, and Yamato watched them with a rather forlorn look. Lupin could tell the man would agree to come at a moment's notice if he could.
" . . . salus quodi velocium!" As soon as he released the spell Lupin experienced a significant drop of energy and he stumbled backwards from the strain. It seemed that transporting so many people across the dimensions would take a greater toll on his body than he thought. Someone grasped his shoulders and helped keep him upright, which Remus was grateful for.
The onlookers watched in fascination as the group of six started to fade as purple electricity pulsated all around them, finally disappearing with a quiet pop!
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Chapter notes: Sorry for the long wait guys! As you can tell, this is an incredibly long chapter, so I hope it's worth it. I would like to thank all my awesome reviewers!
Chapter end notes: What do you think? I know it's a little different, but Gaara is the Kazekage so arrangements had to be made. Until next time!